Demography

​Relevance

Demography is the
study of human population dynamics. It encompasses the study of the size,
structure and distribution of populations, and how populations change over time
due to births, deaths and migration. The
regional demographic statistics for Malta provide annual data on population,
vital events (live births and deaths) and marriages at NUTS3 (LAU 1) level. This information is compiled basing on a
harmonised methodology stipulated by European Regulation (EC) No. 1260/2013.

On a national level, demographic
statistics are essential for policy making by Ministries, Government
departments and Authorities working within the social and economic fields.
Other stakeholders also include research institutions, the University of Malta,
other educational institutions, students and private companies. High quality population statistics are crucial
for estimating probabilities of selection in survey sampling and hence in the
calculation of weights in a number of surveys.
In addition, vital events together with internal and external migration are
required for updating the population and dwellings register.

Methodological
description

The completeness of demographic
outputs depends on the availability of data received from the responsible
Public Authorities in Malta and Gozo. In
fact, all demographic data is collected from administrative sources, and data
is requested and collected on an annual basis.

Demography statistics are then
compiled and are based on the concept of ‘usual residence’. This refers to the place
where persons normally spend their daily period of rest, regardless of
temporary absences for purposes of recreation, holidays, visits to friends and
relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage.

The following
persons alone shall be considered to be usual residents of a specific
geographical area:

​those who have lived in their place of
usual residence for a continuous period of at least 12 months before the
reference time; or

those who arrived in their place of
usual residence during the 12 months before the reference time with the
intention of staying there for at least one year.

Accuracy and
reliability of data

During the compilation of all
demographic outputs, consistency checks are continuously done to verify that
totals tally between different tables, and that the total of a variable is
consistent with the breakdown by different variables. Checks are also being
done to verify that statistics are consistent with what has been published in
previous years.

Timeliness and punctuality
of data

The ‘World Population Day’ news release related to
demography is published on the NSO’s website on the pre-established date as
scheduled in the Advance Release Calendar​ which can also be viewed
on the NSO’s website.

The ‘Demographic Review’ publication is normally made
available on the NSO’s website during year T+2.

Data related to demography is always sent to the
Eurostat within the deadlines stipulated by Regulation mentioned earlier. Tables with demographic indicators are
compiled and transmitted to Eurostat mainly during July and December of year
T+1 .

Accessibility and
clarity of data

The main output at national level
is the ‘Demographic Review’ publication which has been published as from
reference year 2001. A news release is published annually related to demography
to commemorate ‘World Population Day’.

Another news release related to
demography, ‘Naming Babies’, used to be published, and made available
on the NSO’s website, in the past. This
was last published in 2015 for reference year 2014.

Tables related to
demography are also available on the NSO’s statistical
database (StatDB). These include data related to population
counts by sex and age, population counts by locality, crude deaths rates, crude
birth rates and total fertility rates.

Every year, a metadata report is
submitted to Eurostat and a similar report is also produced at a national level
and disseminated on NSO’s metadata website.

Coherence and
comparability/consistency of data

Demography is the only source of
population statistics and is compiled using the strict definition of ‘usual
residence’. To this end, coherence tests
with other domains, with the exception of the Population and Housing Census
data, are not possible. Census data is considered
comparable in view of intercensal revisions and given that in general, the same
principles are applied.

Demographic data is fully comparable at regional
level and also over time given that very minor changes have been made during
the past years in the methodology used for the compilation of demographic
statistics.